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As controversy surrounding Democratic Senate candidate Graham Platner continues to mount, attention is turning to a little-known provision of Maine law that could allow Democrats to replace him on the general election ballot after the primary.
The question has taken on new significance because Maine election law provides a mechanism for replacing a nominee who withdraws after winning a primary.
Under Maine law, a candidate who wins the June 9 primary and subsequently withdraws by 5 p.m. on July 13 may be replaced by a nominee selected by party officials. Any replacement candidate must be chosen no later than 5 p.m. on July 27. The timeline would give Democrats just 14 days to settle on a replacement candidate and prepare for the general election campaign.
GRAHAM PLATNER VOWS TO ‘COME AFTER’ BEZOS AS SENATE HOPEFUL ESCALATES BILLIONAIRE TAX FIGHT
Senate candidate Graham Platner, D-Maine, speaks at a town hall at the Franco Center in Lewiston, Maine, on Oct. 15, 2025. (Libby Kenny/Sun Journal via AP)
While there is no public indication that Democrats are pursuing such a strategy, the provision has fueled speculation about what options the party would have if concerns about Platner’s candidacy continue to grow.
The scrutiny comes as Platner has faced a series of controversies in recent weeks, including criticism over a tattoo with links to Nazi imagery, resurfaced Reddit posts in which he made inflammatory comments about veterans, sexual assault and political opponents and reports about sexually explicit messages exchanged with other women during his marriage.
Platner, a Marine veteran and oyster farmer, has defended himself against the criticism and retained the support of prominent Democrats, including Sens. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., and Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass. Still, some party figures have questioned whether the allegations could complicate Democrats’ efforts to unseat Sen. Susan Collins, R-Maine, in one of the…
